P: Persian dinner parties, random karaoke bars, etc

I got home a little bit ago, after way too much green lamb stew (ghorme sabzi), yogurt-cucumber-dill sauce with raisins and pomegranate seeds, eggplant-honey-tapenade, raspberry vinaigrette spinach salad, and cognac-infused chocolate mousse with a small shot of Hennessy to enjoy it with. And lots of wine. It was a Persian dinner party hosted by my friend Darius, the half-Iranian, half-white cousin of my author Firoozeh Dumas, who set us up on a playdate a while back. Incidentally, he (and his brother Ryan, who I guess was our year? whom I've never met, though) went to the same Viennese high school Jessi went to junior year (shoutout, Jessi) !! Anyway, there were about 20 people there, and everyone was really friendly (surprise, surprise). Even more surprising was that not many people there knew each other. I find that at most dinner parties, there's one dominant group, and a couple of stragglers, which leads to awkward mingling. But here, everyone had a different story as to how they knew the host (volleyball, work, tangentially related to work, friends of an ex-girlfriend, former roommate, etc), though I was told I had the best story. Anyway, again it was just one of those nights where I wonder if it's just a Boston thing, or just this particular group, but everyone really gelled together and had a great time. It was also like a meeting of the UN or a United Colors of Bennetton ad: there was an Israeli, a Ugandan who lived in Switzerland, another Asian (Korean? didn't get to talk to her), an Indian woman and her Australian boyfriend, a couple of white people of varying Irish, Jewish, WASP compositions, a bunch of multiethnic looking mixes...one was a pregnant woman who kind of looked like Obama's (half) sister, so she must have been half-Indonesian, half-Kansan.

However, I left this party "early"--it started at 7, I left at 11--because there were a couple of couples, and although there were some single people, I kind of felt like, I didn't want to be the last one left. Especially as I have the weakest ties to the party altogether, and I didn't want to wear out my welcome. Also, some kids from my running club were going to shoot pool at Boston Beer Works, which from my understanding is a huge bar/billiards kind of place, which I'm frankly a little scared to try. So as I was texting with one running club person, I also texted my friend Andy to see if he was heading there, too. I don't know how Boston people roll--as far as I know, people stop partying at 10:48pm, and I didn't want to show up (esp as it was in North Station) and have no one there. So I hadn't heard back from Chris, but Andy said he was doing karaoke in Chinatown, at this (I was soon to learn) ridiculous place called Limelight. With a TEN DOLLAR COVER (grumble grumble). Also, if the T stopped running and I had to cab it, then I would be much closer to my apt from Chinatown than from deserted north station. Anyway, I did hear back from Chris, who actually WAS still at Beer Works, but I was kind of afraid this annoying, troll-like guy (not kid--I think he's like 30+) Devon was going to be there. I just met Devon at ten cent wing night on Monday at the Asgard Pub, and he was a really, super socially awkward type. Painfully so. Like, some of us were having a conversation about cooking tofu, and he was like, "Edamame is good." like, completely non-sequitur. Like, I got the soy connection, but it was like, um, way to hijack the conversation with your Asperger-like behavior. Then you get cornered into having a conversation with him, and it's really awkward, and he's there with chicken wing glaze all over his face, and you're trying not to cringe while looking at him.

ANYWAY!

I got to the Limelight, and it was kind of cheese-central. First off, the cover, even though I stayed for all of 30min. And it was just one big stage, and there were annoying girls in tube tops--like the kinds that just push past you without saying sorry. Which happens all the time in NY, but as I've mentioned in previous posts, people here seem to be more conscientious about that kind of thing. Anyway, the only people I knew were Andy and this blonde girl I met only once before, and it was kind of awkward, because I later learned it was a birthday party, and all of these girls were wearing shiny dresses with ridiculous heels, etc etc. Then I thought to myself: damn I should have just gone to Beer Works instead. Or I should have stayed at Darius' party. Then I thought: chill, Patty. Why do you keep trying to maximize every goddamn moment? So what. The karaoke place was lame (the wait time for a song was 1.25hrs), but at least I was trying it out. And yeah, it was awkward as I sat in this crowded lounge with no one to talk to at moments. And people were crooning songs on the stage that were real downers. And then someone busted out with the Leanne Reimes. But now I have a delightful stamp on my left hand by which to remember it by.

Well, maybe I'll be inspired to run another 5 miles tomorrow morning (ha!)--today was quite a workout, especially the bits of running IN the snow...which gets old after about a block.